Trend Alert: Strong Brows

Goodbye over-plucked brows, hello fullness! Spotted on the Spring 2012 runways of shows like Derek Lam and Altuzarra, strong shapely brows are back this season and bigger than ever, particularly in Hollywood. Stars such as Kim Kardashian, Carey Mulligan and Michelle Williams can all be seen embracing the trend.

But where did the beauty craze all begin? “Extremely strong brows take inspiration from the heavily penciled in brows of icons of the past, like Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Crawford,” notes Shobha Tummala, CEO and founder of Shobha in New York. They were also popular in the 80s, says celebrity makeup artist Stacey Ellis of Byu-Ti Salon in LA. “As hair got lighter, brows stayed darker and fuller. Madonna is known for this look.” Nowadays though, she says, brows are much more well-groomed.

So how can you get the look? We asked a few brow experts and makeup artists to reveal their secrets! Here’s what they had to say:

“In order to pull off this look, balance strong eyebrows with light makeup and a hair style that’s pulled away from the face,” says celebrity makeup artist Piper Cline of Angelo David Salon in New York. “Such trends work well on celebrities with short cuts, like Emma Watson, because it creates subtle drama to accentuate their features.”

“A brow gel can add a touch of gloss to strong, shapely brows,” notes Pamela Jeschonek, a licensed esthetician and founder of EyebrowMBA. The perfect way to make brows sparkle and draw attention to the eyes.”

“To maintain a full brow shape, remove hair only at the bottom under portion of the eyebrow and in between the brows,” advises owner of Stript Wax Bar in Los Angeles, Katherine Goldman. “Make sure to also use a brow filler to make brows look even fuller.”